28 January 2012

My First Pie


It has been a crazy time of late, my mind has been divided and distracted.

Stress has always had its way with me. Even stress born of exciting opportunities can be trying. This week the stress took an interesting turn, and resulted in, um,

A pie.

Not just any pie, the first pastry of any kind I have ever made.

A pie. A 'key lime' pie. With meringue.

from scratch.

As I cooked, I thought:

I will beat the eggs into submissive, fluffy peaks of deliciousness. I will squeeze and squish the last drop of juice out of the tiny, reluctant limes. I will cut the butter into the flour with my fingers and knead and stir the dough with my hands the way the ancient pie-makers of Mesopotamia must have. I will roll out the pastry with a wine bottle for lack of a rolling pin.

I will get a cardio and strength work-out, shake off the week, and at the end of it all, I WILL HAVE DESSERT!

And so, voila - my first pastry. A pie born from the ashes of last week's rollercoaster:

(I once told my friend Mai that in Baltimore the streets were paved with pie; maybe I'm just homesick.)

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